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Pilatus Jet Nears Certification

ByHank Gibson October 11, 2017

The Pilatus Jet, the PC-24 Super Versatile Jet, is nearing certification.  Pilatus expects the Pilatus Jet to receive European and US certification by December.  The first delivery may even take place before the end of the year.

In developing the PC-24 Pilatus Jet, Pilatus, based in Switzerland, has taken the same approach as they did with the PC-12, their insanely successful single engine turboprop.  Versatility is the key, with their mindset being to make the PC-24 Pilatus Jet the first flying Suburban jet.  Pilatus emphasized STOL  and unimproved strip operation in their design.

The huge cargo door so familiar on the PC-12 has been crafted into the PC-24 Pilatus Jet giving access to a massive cargo area.  According to Pilatus’ website, the jet has a takeoff distance of only 2,690 feet, which is unheard of for a a business jet.  There is seating for 11 + a pilot (yep, it’s a single pilot airplane!), so the whole family can come along.  With a max cruise of 425 knots and a range of almost 2,000 miles, it’s a get somewhere airplane.

The price tag for a new PC-24 Pilatus Jet will be $8.9 million, which is just under what a new Phenom 300 costs.  There is a 90 order wait list, so if you get on it now, you can get one faster than a Cirrus Vision Jet!

MODAERO NextGen Aviation Festival

ByHank Gibson March 8, 2016March 7, 2016

Looking for something different to do this Spring Break week?

Consider checking out the First Annual MODAERO NextGen Aviation Festival in Conroe, TX.  It’s a fly in event, complete with camping opportunities, at the Lone Star Executive Airport, KCXO.  The festival itself is being held right next door to the airport at the Lone Star Convention Center.

What’s the draw, do you ask?  Not only are there going to be representatives from all the major aircraft manufacturer’s (along with tons of airplanes), there will be a multitude of speakers and live music.  There are even drone races!  The live music sets the event apart from the well known national fly in events like Osh Kosh and Sun N Fun.  It’s a different type of Festival, geared toward the younger generation of pilots.

For more information or to register, check out MODAERO’s website.  The festival runs from Wednesday through Saturday, March 16-19.

Lightspeed Zulu 2 vs. The Bose A20

ByHank Gibson September 13, 2014

The debate about which headset is the better product will never cease.  We do know this for sure, though, Lightspeed and Bose make the best noise canceling headsets out there.  David Clark’s offering doesn’t match up with these two.  Newcomer AKG has a light (weight-wise that is, as the headset is equipped with a pair of LED lights as well) ANR headset that the jury is still out on.  For now, Lightspeed and Bose sit atop the ANR kingdom.

The comparison for this article will be between the Lightspeed Zulu 2 and the Bose A20 headsets, both of which I have used quite extensively in my flying career.  I am officially in the Lighspeed camp at this point and after reading my comparison below, you’ll see why.

ANR Functionality

Between the two, the Bose A20 cancels out more noise, no argument there.  This isn’t to say that the Lightspeed Zulu 2 doesn’t.  Quite the opposite, actually.  The Lightspeed Zulu 2 does a great job of canceling the noise.  But with the A20 on in a C172, you can barely hear the engine running.  The difference before you press the power button and after is extremely noticeable.  I had one client turn to me after turning on the noise canceling function of his new A20 headset and state, “These things are awesome!”

The other advantage Bose has is a continuation of the noise canceling.  About the only thing I don’t like about the Lightspeed is if you don’t have the headset sized just right on your head, each time you turn your head to look at something, then the suction gets broken around the ear cup and you get some ambient noise.  My glasses probably don’t help with this.  It’s not that big of a deal, you just have to readjust the size of the headset, but, since I’m a little OCD, it bugs me.  Once I get the set sized right, it’s smooth sailing.

Comfort

Far and away, the Lightspeed Zulu 2 is much more comfortable than the Bose A20.   I flew for 5 hours in the right seat with my Lightspeed set on the other day.  I switched to the left seat for the last leg and used the owner’s A20 headset since it was plugged in on that side already and I noticed quite a bit of difference.  The ear cups seemed to press against my head more.  The pad on top of my head didn’t seem to be as cushiony.  It just wasn’t overall as comfortable as the Lightspeed Zulu 2.

Bose has made a lot of progress from their original noise canceling headsets.  Those didn’t have much of a cushion on top at all.  After about 2.5 hours, the slim ear cushions began to dig in to the side of your head.  So, the A20 has made some progress, but the Lightspeed Zulu 2 takes the cake in comfort.

Weight Distribution

“Wait!”  You Bose boys scream (no pun intended).  “The A20 is lighter than the Zulu 2!”  While this is true (the Zulu 2 weighs in at 15.7 oz while the A20 is only 12 oz), the way that weight is distributed makes a massive amount of difference.  The Lightspeed Zulu 2 feels lighter on top of your noggin than the A20 because the weight of the A20 is firmly planted on the top of your head in a single point.  With the Zulu 2, the weight is distributed evenly across the top of your scalp, so even though the set is heavier, it feels lighter on your head because the weight is not all concentrated on one point.

All this adds up to why I like the Lightspeed Zulu 2 more than the Bose A20.  As for a practical example, I wore my Lightspeed Zulu 2 set for 9.1 hours one day two weeks ago.  Needless to say, it was a long day.  But, once I climbed out of the airplane, I had no pain on the top of my head and only a very little where my glasses ran along the side of my head.  Now I call that a winner.

After Market Ice Protection

ByHank Gibson December 16, 2017December 23, 2017

It’s winter time, so that means winter weather for the aviation community.  For single engine piston pilots, that means dealing with icing conditions.  For us Texan flyers, ice only presents an issue for maybe a week out of the year (the exception being for those Panhandle residents!), but it’s nice to have some protection.

Most single engine pistons do not come with ice protection from the factory and, of those that do, most are not Flight Into Known Icing (FIKI) approved.  The systems are “get out of jail” systems that can reduce the amount of ice you pick up if you accidentally get into icing conditions and you are on your way out.  The Cirrus SR22 line of aircraft has had the TKS system option since 2006, with the new FIKI system being available since 2010.  The Cessna TTx has a FIKI option that was debuted in 2014.

The above mentioned airplanes use TKS systems.  There are a handful of single engine pistons that use boots that are FIKI certified:  the Piper PA46 line (Malibu, Mirage, and Matrix) and the Cessna P210 and T210 line (though not all are equipped with boots).

If you find yourself flying into wintry conditions often and want some protection for your clean wing airplane, there are some aftermarket options for a lot of airplanes now.  Do note that all these systems do come with a pretty hefty price tag, but can be worth it if you fly into icing a good bit.

CAV Ice Protection TKS Systems

CAV Ice Protection is a TKS system outfitter.  What is TKS fluid?  According to Flying Magazine:

“TKS systems dispense an ethylene glycol-based fluid with a freezing point below minus 70 degrees F through porous titanium panels attached to the leading edge of the wing and empennage. The fluid is released through thousands of the panels’ laser-drilled holes, which are not much larger than the size of a human hair. As air flows over the wing and empennage, it disperses the fluid, coating the surfaces, and preventing the formation and adherence of ice.”

The advantages of a TKS system are the whole entire wing gets coated to get rid of any extra ice that adheres to the top or bottom of the wing surface.  The disadvantage is there is only a finite amount of fluid, so when it runs out, you don’t have any more protection.  The fluid also adds extra weight agains the useful load of the airplane.

CAV Offers a Basic TKS system for the following single engine piston aircraft:

• Beech Bonanza
• Cessna 182, 206, 210, 350, & 400
• Columbia 350 & 400
• Piper PA32
• Mooney M20

CAV Offers a full FIKI System for the following single engine piston aircraft:

• Beech A36 & G36 Bonanza, and Baron
• Cessna 210 & TTx
• Commander 114
• Mooney M20

For more information, check out CAV Ice Protection’s Website.

Ice Shield De-Icing Boots

Ice Shield is another after market de-ice option.  Ice Shield makes boots for wing leading edges.  The advantage of boots is they activate instantaneously, getting rid of ice where it builds up first, on the wing leading edge.  No running out of fluid and only the added weight of the system.  Ice Shield also offers heated windscreens for several the Piper Saratoga line and the A36, B36, and G36 Bonanza line.

Ice Shield has boots for the following single engine piston aircraft:

• Beech Bonanza F33A and -36 line
• Cessna 210 line
• Piper Pa46 line

For more information, check out Ice Shield’s Website.

Air Traffic Control Privatization

ByHank Gibson January 25, 2016

There was a bill introduced in Congress recently to take control of Air Traffic Control away from the FAA and give it to a private, for profit, corporation.  The initial reaction of pilots is “Ahhh!  User fees!” which we are all adamantly opposed to.  There are a myriad of reasons why this is a bad idea (the “Flying” article makes a comparison to giving NASA to Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos) and we as pilots should be against it.

Read the “Flying” Magazine full article here.